Former Rice football offensive lineman Peter Godber is now playing in the CFL, following 48 appearances with the Owls over his four-year career.
The last few seasons were littered with low points for Rice football, but it wasn’t all bad. One of the bright spots was offensive lineman Peter Godber. After appearing in 48 games with Rice, Godber was the No. 3 overall selection in the 2018 CFL Draft. He’ll trade out the Rice blue for the orange and black of the BC Lions.
Appearing primarily at right guard for the Owls during his four-year career, Godber also saw some time at left guard. He would end his career with 19 consecutive starts. When his collegiate career was done, Godber made the trek back north to Canada. He grew up in Toronto, modeling his game after Chis Van Zeyl, an offensive lineman for the Toronto Argonauts. He’ll be facing the Argonauts several times this season.
The Lions were in desperate need of help along the offensive line, making Godber’s arrival all the more uplifting. The passing game, under quarterback Jonathan Jennings, was sporadic – at best.
Jeremiah Johnson was the bellcow on the ground. When he could get into space he made some terrific plays, leading the team in explosive runs (10+ yards). Both of those players will be better off with Godber in front of them this season — and they have been. BC won their opening game over the Montreal Alouettes 22-10, thanks to a career high in rushing yards from Jennings.
Rice will miss Godber in the lineup next season. It’s been a long time since the Owls had to pencil anyone in at his position. Coach Mike Bloomgren has a variety of options, but none are as proven as Godber was. He will be missed.
